Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Claire Molyneux

Claire Associate Marketing Director
Procter & Gamble West Africa, Nigeria



Claire Molyneux has come a long way since receiving a Masters of Arts in Modern History and German from England’s Oxford University.  In fact, the journey recently took her to the Palms Shopping Mall in Lekki, a developing suburb of Lagos, Nigeria.  There she talked to the Nigerian people about the re-launch of a new Procter & Gamble detergent, Ariel Prozim, designed to meet the specific needs of African consumers.  The brand unveiling attracted press, government officials, as well as consumers, and Claire’s words were reported in several National newspapers:

"Ariel is creating value for Nigerian consumers by offering the right products to meet consumers’ needs and budget.  With the new Ariel Prozim, you only need to wash your clothes once.  This means that you use half the quantity of Ariel that you would use with another detergent. Nigerian consumers can be certain they are making smart choices when every naira counts."

More companies are recognizing the potential of the African Continent, particularly at a time when last year’s South Africa World Cup underscored how the entire region’s pride has the potential move business forward—despite some extraordinary obstacles.  Increasingly, multinational marketers see the continent as a number of sub-regions.  West Africa, one of those sub-regions with 180 million people, is generally best served through a hub in Lagos, Nigeria’s capital.

 Claire Molyneux has been based in Nigeria now for two and a half years and is responsible for Procter & Gamble’s Fabric Care Division, as well as for Gillette, Duracell, New Business and Market Research, where she is committed to touching and improving more consumers lives across West Africa via P&G brands and it’s Social Responsibility Platform ‘Live, Learn and Thrive’.

A Marketing role in Africa, she has discovered, certainly means being a “brand ambassador,” but often with the official accouterments of true diplomacy and as a devoted champion of local economic growth.  As she points out, “This product comes from our state-of-the-art production plant in Ibadan; the only P&G Detergent factory in the whole of our Sub-Saharan Africa region.”  In fact, at the Ariel re-launch, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State looked on so that she could ascertain that Ariel Prozim was indeed an improvement over its predecessor, Ariel Enzymax, now removing even tough stains in just 1 wash.  The Deputy Governor’s reaction to the clothes-cleaning demonstration would insure the general public of product efficacy.

 Claire’s speeches at such unveiling ceremonies often pay tribute to local organizations, while underscoring P&G’s respect for the local consumer.  And the message that best resonates with the Nigerian people is quite a sophisticated one.  Claire is quoted here by The Nation, Lagos’ newspaper:

 “We must mention the immense support of NAFDAC, an agency that is known globally for its effort to ensure that only the best quality products are available for Nigerian consumers.  Without their support, P&G could not have brought this product and its associate job opportunities to Nigerians. Since 1837, Procter & Gamble has built a heritage of touching consumers’ lives across the globe with brands that make everyday life a little better; now and for generations to come and we remain committed to improving the lives of the world’s consumers.”



Anthony Lau

Anthony_lau Marketing Director
Bank of Communications, The Pacific Credit Card Center, Hong Kong


The Shanghai World Expo in 2010 marked another significant international milestone for China, particularly following just a few years in the wake of the Beijing Olympics.  Whereas the Games offered the world a glimpse of a new China, the Expo was certainly a coming out party for business, multinational corporations and governments, as well as Chinese consumer enthusiasm.  For Anthony Lau and his marketing stewardship of the Pacific Credit Card Center (PCCC) of Bank of Communications, the Shanghai Expo also represented a critical marketing decision to leverage the bank’s unique status as one of its global partners.

Anthony Lau was assigned three years ago to Bank of Communications’ Pacific Credit Card Center as Marketing Director after more than 20 years' service with HSBC Hong Kong as the former Head of Branding and Advertising, Asia Pacific Region.  In his current Bank of Communications role, he leads a team of 70 and is responsible for marketing strategy development, brand building and product development, as well as customer acquisition and retention.


The Pacific Credit Card Center was established in 2004 and released its first credit card in the following year. Now, Bank of Communications is the fourth largest card issuer in China.

Lau has used his marketing experience and creativity to launch major projects such as new products like the Platinum Card and EXPO Card, as well as to direct nationwide marketing campaigns like the award winning “Crazy Spending” and “Red Hot Friday.”

Bank of Communications Limited, founded in 1908, is one of four oldest banks in China and one of the early note-issuing banks in the country.  During the economic reforms of the late 1980s, Bank of Communications became China's first state-owned shareholding commercial bank with its headquarters in Shanghai. By 2004, it further evolved into a modern banking enterprise with both mainland and overseas strategic investors, while still operating as a well-known, century-old national brand. 


The Shanghai Expo campaign — “Let the World Enrich Me” — communicated how the Pacific Credit Card is China’s “global card” with world class services that brings enhancements to the Chinese and their lives. Through TV commercials, print and outdoor media channels, as well as point of sales materials, the program targeted well-educated and self-confident Chinese between 25-35 years of age who have an international perspective and an interest in experiencing the world at large.



Wendy Clark

Wendy_clark-1 Senior Vice President, Integrated Marketing Communications & Capabilities
The Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta, Georgia USA


Wendy Clark is certainly one of the world’s most influential women in advertising.  As Senior Vice President, Integrated Marketing Communications and Capabilities at The Coca-Cola Company, she oversees global design, marketing communications, media, sponsorships, interactive marketing and marketing of the Live Positively sustainability platform.

During the two-and-a-half short years since she joined the company, Wendy has championed a number of extraordinary projects.  Among them is the successful global launch of the Coca-Cola "Open Happiness" campaign, which has run in all markets that collectively represent 100% of Coca-Cola's volume.  The company also launched its first-ever global mobile marketing campaign, and its 2010 FIFA World Cup program represented The Coca-Cola System's largest-ever marketing activation.

Her team is leveraging the power of holistic design, working to align the company’s ad agencies under a new value-based compensation model, and driving great adoption and understanding of digital media with a "fans-first" mentality.

Her latest project, which she discussed at the TED WOMEN Conference in Washington this December, focuses on how the need for a global brand to ally with social change.  Called 5 BY 20, the ambitious initiative underscores Coca-Cola’s global commitment to empower 5 million women entrepreneurs by 2020. The project aims to give millions of women opportunities to reach their potential, to support their families and to strengthen their communities- and inspire millions more to do the same.

She says, “It is the responsibility of a corporation our size to use its scale for good and also meet our massive business ambitions.”  Coca-Cola’s 2020 goal is to double is business.

“The three main barriers to women entrepreneurs is access to finance and credit, basic business and marketing skills, and mentorship."  She continues,  "Certainly, Coke can help with all of these areas, but we are also calling others to join at 5by20.com.”

Prior to joining The Coca-Coca Company, Wendy Clark was the Senior Vice President of Advertising for AT&T, the world's largest telecommunications company, where she oversaw "Your World. Delivered."-- the most ambitious re-branding and advertising campaign in the company’s history. Wendy's efforts were recognized in November 2007 with her induction into the American Advertising Federation's (AAF) "Advertising Hall of Achievement."

 Before her move to the client side, Wendy served as the Senior Vice President and Director of Client Service at GSD&M, a nationally acclaimed advertising agency based in Austin, Texas.


 



Rahul Welde

ImageResizer Vice President, Media
Unilever Asia, Africa, Middle East & Turkey, Shanghai


Unilever’s Rahul Welde is not shy about being an advocate.  As Vice President of Media for the company’s business region that spans Asia, Africa, Middle East and Turkey, he believes in applying non-traditional thinking to communications and media strategy.  Not any easy task when considering Unilever’s portfolio of more than 400 brands—each with a strong presence in a majority of the world’s countries.  The multinational giant also ranks among Asia-Pacific’s largest advertisers.

Rahul also serves as Regional Vice President of The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), and was instrumental in creating the organization’s Media & Marketing APAC Network two years ago. The project’s mission is to act as a regional voice for marketers as they tackle critical media-related issues in order to improve best industry practices.  He explains, "These members-only sessions are designed to provide marketers with the chance to share their experiences, learn how to streamline their process and structures and benchmark their practices against those of their peers. It's an ideal way for marketers to learn." 

His role at Unilever focuses on reshaping media strategy, planning and buying to meet the needs of today’s fast-changing landscape and driving this new agenda through a network of agencies and media partners.  Rahul’s primary concern is delivering media effectiveness which he deems to be the result of encouraging innovation, setting strong cost management guidelines and constantly reviewing all analytics.

His WFA agenda also reflects the marketing challenges he faces on a daily basis within his region.  Right now, he sees two of the major priorities for advertisers to be:  1. the challenges of developing truly integrated marketing campaigns in the face of ever expanding digital possibilities, and 2. the difficulties of measuring the ROI of marketing investments. 

Sometimes the role of an advocate is also to be a critic.  Rahul has also turned his attention to the current lack of reliable and transparent online audience measurement by underscoring the challenges this poses for major advertisers throughout the world, not just within the Asia-Pacific region.   He stresses that while digital remains a top priority for the world’s biggest global marketers and will continue to attract marketing investment, he is calling for more reliable metrics to better demonstrate MROI or Marketing Return on Investment.

This year marks Rahul Welde 20th anniversary with Unilever.  Prior to his current role, Rahul served as the Head of Media Services for Unilever South Asia.  He joined consumer goods giant in 1991 after completing his MBA at India’s Symbiosis Institute of Business Management.  Over the past two decades, he has taken on a variety of assignments for the packaged goods giant,ß including in such departments as Commercial, Sales and within the Corporate Center.



Beth Comstock

Comstock Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer 
GE, Fairfield, Connecticut USA


If one were to characterize Beth Comstock and her highly-respected work at GE in a single word, there’s little doubt it would be “innovator.”  She is often credited with playing a key role in transforming the culture of the corporate giant to one that is more creative, accessible and innovative. 

However, Beth would probably say the term that best describes her marketing role would be “instigator.”  She’s conscious of how marketers must be the ones to draw attention to some of the trends and realities that are most difficult for management to accept.  (In fact, she believes that this essential part of marketing—the going against the corporate grain—ironically is also what threatens the longevity of marketers most.)

Both words—innovator and instigator together serve to precisely define what’s required of today’s successful CMO.  And Beth Comstock manages to juggle both concepts in a manner that simply appears to be effortless.

In her role as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of GE, Beth leads the company's organic growth and commercial innovation initiatives, as well as the sales, marketing and communications functions.  She is responsible for the GE-wide business platforms of ecomagination—dedicated to reducing environmental impact with new technology, and healthymagination—focused on achieving sustainable health through innovation by lowering costs, improving quality and reaching more people.

Beth Comstock is also one of the few CMOs to hold the role twice within the same corporation.  In 2003, she was named GE's first Chief Marketing Officer in more than two decades, after serving a four-year role as the company’s VP Corporate Communications.  She is credited with reinvigorating marketing across the company by introducing ecomagination and the "imagination at work" brand campaign.

She then moved within GE to become President of Integrated Media at NBC, then NBC Universal, and innovated again with digital media development and distribution--including the formation of hulu.com, Peacock Equity, and the acquisition of ivillage.com.

Although Beth spent much of her early career in positions at CBS Entertainment, Turner Broadcasting and ultimately NBC, she actually graduated with a degree in biology.  No doubt that has even had its benefits in conversations with GE scientists and healthymagination initiatives.

She’s been in the top marketing role at GE since 2008, during some of the more challenging years for business.  Today, her largest concerns are revenue growth, brand value and continuing to insure that GE businesses can drive innovation globally and with purpose.  She remains firm in her conviction that the power of the GE brand can open doors and augment sales.

And as the multinational giant sets its sights on tackling two of the world’s largest challenges—the environment and health—we have no doubt that Beth Comstock will continue to innovate and instigate.



Nick Adams

NickAdams_PassportSize_72dpi_RGB_0a38.small Chief Marketing Officer
Westpac Banking Corporation, Sydney, Australia


Nick Adams has just been officially named CMO of Westpac’s Retail and Business Banking division after a fast two-year rise within the company.  Nick actually rejoined Westpac in 2008 to drive a bank-wide customer relationship management program before moving to head up Cards and Direct marketing.  (He also served as a Senior Marketing Manager at Westpac from 2002-2005, before he left for a Vice President role at American Express.)

 Nick’s no stranger to marketing notoriety.  Six years ago, he was named one of the four young stars of Australian marketing by the prescient local Marketing magazine.  In November 2009, Nick was awarded Australian Direct Marketer of the Year by the ADMA/ Australian Direct Marketing Association for his program at Westpac.

 Now in his Chief Marketing Officer role, he’s responsible for customer service, sales and marketing for 4.4 million consumer, small and medium enterprise customers. 

So what’s the secret of Nick’s success?  He’ll simply say it’s knowing that above-the-line (ATL) and below-the-line (BTL) can work effectively together to provide highly-targeted creative that’s relevant to the consumer.  

“My key focus has been on developing best-in-class marketing campaigns that fuse direct marketing data and know how with highly-targeted above-the-line (ATL) campaigns.  For the launch of Westpac's 685 new style bank managers into the Australian marketplace, we created a campaign that geo-coded our 4 million customers and plotted them into trade areas—essentially linking our customers with our 685 branches and bank managers.  Into these trade areas we also plotted the location of all outdoor assets, press distribution boundaries and every Westpac ATM.  

Once we had built the database of our customers and media assets, we then delivered a nationally-driven campaign tailored to each of the 685 trade areas.  We created tens of thousands of pieces of creative tailored to each branch and bank manager, and ran the campaign across television, press, outdoor, digital, direct marketing including letterbox drops.  It was a huge team effort, but it was also hugely successful.

 Nick also recognizes that marketing risk-taking is essential today.  In fact, he has been taking the focus off price and promotion to drive product demand.  “More of our campaigns are now focused on higher-level value propositions and insights, rather than incorporating a more traditional price or promotion lever.  In these campaigns, we have been able to stimulate considerable demand and deliver the organization a greater outcome without reverting to price.  It is largely counter-intuitive to lead with this approach, particular in financial services where the products can be very homogeneous and competitors are pushing in the price/promotion territory to drive demand.”

 Nick Adams’ passion for marketing is clear.  Firstly, I love the fact that when done well, marketing can make a real difference to the bottom line of any company. We can take a discretionary investment and turn this into incremental value for an organization.  And I love the fact that no two days in marketing are the same; each day is a new challenge requiring you to stay at the top of your game.



Chad Carlson

ChadCarlson Senior Director of Global Online Advertising, Operations & Agency Management
Oracle Corporation, Redwood Shores, California


Chad Carlson leads the global go-to-market advertising activities for demand generation of Oracle's products and solutions.  He is also responsible for the worldwide operations of the centralized advertising organization and oversees global agency management.  The US-headquartered IT giant specializes in developing open and integrated enterprise software products and hardware systems, particularly in database management, and works with over 370,000 customers in 145 countries—including all of the Fortune 100 companies.

In this role, Chad managed the overhaul of the global digital asset management process to better administer the company’s creative production and distribution of assets used in advertising programs around the world.  As new digital communications have become the norm in the world’s developed and emerging markets, Chad worked with Starcom to ensure that every market would have access to a portfolio of best-in-class digital advertising content to promote the Oracle brand.  He also worked with agency partners to create an integrated ecosystem of content collaborators across Starcom, SDL (the content and language management company), third party publishers and Oracle local market teams—ensuring real-time support of all incoming brand and creative requests. 

Chad essentially built Oracle’s global advertising content portfolio on a worldwide basis. This includes: managing the development of translated white papers, e-books, online courses, virtual training, C-level engagements, banners and traditional ads.  Such innovation across 20 countries ultimately increased the efficiency of Oracle’s global advertising,

No doubt, his extensive marketing background and pioneering nature contributed to the success of this global undertaking. Chad has led global marketing and advertising teams into new territories many times.  He has also been quick to embrace global standards to evaluate the effectiveness of advertising programs and was one of the first major marketers to break out of the mindset that “the click means everything.”  Prior to joining Oracle in 2007, he was Chief of Staff for the Brand & Advertising group at Sun Microsystems.  His earlier ad agency background includes work with such clients as Bank of America, Microsoft and Apple.

Chad Carlson’s collaborative approach, drive for excellence, focus on accountability, and critical thinking skills motivate everyone who works with him.  One other lesser-known fact…. he’s also a member of the Board of Directors of the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California.



Shawn Warren

Shawn-Warren Vice President Marketing
Kraft Foods Asia-Pacific, Singapore


Shawn Warren heads marketing for Kraft Foods Asia-Pacific with a team of over 300+ professionals across the region.  He is a passionate believer that “the best ideas are proven ideas that travel fast and freely across markets.” As a result, Shawn has driven outstanding communications across the region, particularly on large international brands like OREO, TANG and CADBURY DAIRY MILK.  In fact, both of these brands are testament to the speed and impact of how taking ideas seemlessly across markets can deliver explosive in-market growth for Kraft Foods Asia-Pacific.

In 2010, Shawn was responsible for the driving extraordinarily successful campaigns for OREO across ten Asia-Pacific countries that delivered revenue growth of more than 50% versus the prior year. In fact, under his leadership, the brand has tripled its revenues over the last 3 years in Asia.  OREO is driving substantial snack share gains for Kraft Foods in the region, and is a beacon for how the company is successfully accelerating growth by establishing Marketing Excellence in International Markets.

The OREO campaign is among the best examples of the proprietary GLOCAL model being deployed by Kraft Foods throughout the world. The GLOBAL element of the campaign celebrates the worldwide theme of “Moments of Togetherness.”  The LOCAL aspect uncovers key consumer insights for widely differing countries to better portray how these “Moments of Togetherness” can be brought to life in each Oreo market.

In China and Hong Kong, OREO partnered with the famous Shanghai-born basketball player Yao Ming to build an integrated marketing campaign that uses strong TV, events, online games, outdoor and in-store displays to bring the idea of “Can you Dunk?” to life.  The campaign has made China the second best-selling OREO market globally — after the United States, and the #1 cookie brand in China.  

In Australia, the “Moments of Togetherness” campaign was captured with an integrated advertising approach featuring two boys playing OREO “Twist, Lick, Dunk” games at a schoolyard to win the adoration of the prettiest girl in their class.  In Thailand, the campaign was brought to life by a father and son twisting, licking and dunking new Golden OREO in milk.  In Indonesia, “Moments of Togetherness” showed children playfully dunking OREO in milk on a basketball court. The similarities are clear: the worldwide theme of “Moments of Togetherness” is easily captured emotionally, while all campaigns have resulted in record growth for the brand.

A 16-year veteran of Kraft Foods, with stints across Canada, the US and with 6 years now spent in Asia, Shawn Warren champions and celebrates the creativity of his marketing team through a number of forums several times a year. He also publishes “Marketing Excellence — Delicious Hits,” a series of online video compilations of strong marketing campaigns that his team has developed across the Asia-Pacific Region. These are used as critical training tools to inspire fellow marketers and encourage strong creative ideas to travel quickly across markets.



Jon Achenbaum

John Senior Vice President, Global Strategic Marketing
Bayer Healthcare/ Diabetes Division, Tarrytown, New York



Whenever people mention Jon Achenbaum, they immediately talk about with his passion for building successful brands and his willingness to work on challenging projects that make a difference.  He has clearly managed to encompass both attributes in his work at Bayer Healthcare’s Diabetes Division.

In his position as Senior Vice President / Global Strategic Marketing, Jon is responsible for leading product management, brand strategy, marketing communications, eMarketing, competitive intelligence, customer and market insight, packaging and design, and medical marketing.

His marketing role at Bayer Healthcare also corresponds to a time when more patients are taking greater responsibility for their own healthcare needs.  Consumers, particularly those with diabetes, are demanding more choices to maintain their wellbeing, and as a result, are also driving healthcare companies to come up with more innovative solutions.

This thinking led to the SimpleWins brand campaign, which enabled Bayer Diabetes Care to define a unique space in an undifferentiated market.  SimpleWins underscores the company’s commitment to simplifying life with diabetes.  Through innovative products, online tools and services, Bayer empowers their customers to gain better control of their health, and ultimately, their happiness.

In fact, Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB is one such example.  CONTOUR® USB is the first plug & play meter that provides diabetes management software on any home computer.  Not only does the meter report useful past data, but it accurately enables a patient to personalize the way they test, record and view blood glucose results.

Nick Jonas of The Jonas Brothers, is an actual user of Bayer's CONTOUR® USB meter and has been a paid spokesperson for the company since 2008. The popular entertainer joined forces with Bayer HealthCare Diabetes Care to encourage people with diabetes to achieve Simple Wins, or small, every day victories. Nick shares his personal experiences with diabetes on www.NicksSimpleWins.com where he writes blog posts of his latest activities.

Jon Achenbaum’s concern with Simple Wins has also engendered Bayer’s new DIDGET™ blood glucose meter that allows children to manage their diabetes using their Nintendo DS gaming system. The DIDGET™ rewards kids for building consistent testing habits and meeting personalized blood glucose target ranges.  Jon recognizes that linking play with purpose can transform a child’s experience of a lifelong disease when tapping into their existing passion for handheld gaming.

Before his global role at Bayer, Jon Achenbaum's background includes nine years with Unilever in several executive positions-- including Senior Vice President of Global Skin Innovation, General Manager of the North American Hair and Oral Care businesses, as well as President of Lever Ponds in Canada.  Prior to Unilever, Jon worked for Helene Curtis in Brand Management, Business Development and Marketing Resources. He began his career at Quaker Oats and Pillsbury.



Kieran Foley

Kieran_foley_003 Group Marketing Director
Digicel, Kingston, Jamaica


When attending the National University of Ireland at Galway, Kieran Foley was the Captain of the Irish Universities Soccer Team while he was majoring in marketing.  Now, more than a decade later and serving as Group Marketing Director at Digicel,  his love of sports has translated to some big gains for the mobile phone network provider owned by Irish entrepreneur, Denis O’Brien.

Through Kieran Foley’s energies, Digicel became the regional sponsor of the FIFA World Cup—a first for the Caribbean.  The project also initiated localized television broadcasts in each of the 23 markets across the region.  The agreement enabled Digicel use of the FIFA World Cup logo, which ultimately provided for exceptional brand differentiation. The campaign focused on connecting the Caribbean audience to South Africa by "bringing the animal out of you."  The passion for football was associated with symbols of the “Big Five” animals from Africa’s Game Reserves.

Kieran initiated the FIFA contractual discussions and finalized the negotiations.  The project also involved communication to all markets and executing full activation plans. This was the first time the company developed so massive a regional promotion and sponsorship program that required tremendous local input and specific local activation. Yet the massive effort paid off and was a major success for the Digicel brand image and its commercial goals.

The decade-long history of Digicel is nothing short of extraordinary.  The company brings mobile service to local and rural residents that never before had the option of mobile communications.  Digicel currently operates in 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central and South America and the South Pacific with more than 11 million wireless users.
 
Established April 2001 in Jamaica, Digicel grew to 100,000 customers in approximately 100 days.  Now, their Jamaican customer base has grown to two million+ users, and they’ve just broken ground on the company’s new “green” global headquarters on the waterfront in downtown Kingston.  The building will be the most environmentally friendly major office complex in the Caribbean by utilizing solar power, wind power and geothermal cooling systems.
 
In addition to the FIFA effort, Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Cup. In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams and also sponsors the Vanuatu cricket team.

While Kieran’s playing days on the field are over, his passion and enthusiasm to drive affinity and focus on the company’s brand through the vehicle of sport and music have propelled him in a career path with the Caribbean’s strongest ever marketing company, which boasts record levels of brand awareness and brand affinity across its markets.



Katy Giffault

KGiffault_Y0D8589 Vice President Global Consumer Insights
Hasbro, Inc., Pawtucket, Rhode Island USA


Katy Giffault has just completed her first year with Hasbro, the branded play company that creates and markets some of the world’s best loved brands. She leads the company’s global consumer insights team after spending six years directing the global branding program at United Technologies Corporation (UTC), a company whose products include the likes of Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines, Sikorsky helicopters, Hamilton Sundstrand aerospace systems and industrial products.
 
When asked about the transition, Katy responded, “I’ve gone from the Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter to the G.I. JOE action figure and from spacesuits to TRANSFORMERS. I guess you can say I’m good with toys big and small.”
 
One can also say that Katy is good with strategic vision, innovative solutions that drive results, and facilitating complex global programs. She’s passionate about developing a deep understanding of how to reach a target audience – and delivering. Her long experience on both the marketer and agency sides of the business has instilled tenaciousness about recognizing consumer needs, uncovering media insights and connecting key customers with the brand attributes that matter most to them.
 
Plus, she’s the mother of triplets—three girls, all age 11. “What could be a better internal focus group for Hasbro?”
 
In addition to her a strong work ethic, the triplets insure that she stays extremely organized (and have also taught her to function efficiently with little sleep). However, Hasbro’s family-friendly environment helps. The company was just named as one of “The 100 Best Companies to Work for” in the U.S. by FORTUNE magazine.
 
Katy Giffault is VERY enthusiastic about Hasbro’s extraordinary global potential. Games like MONOPOLY are sold in 111 countries and translated into 43 languages. The company is well established in North America and Europe, and is expanding South America and other key markets such as China, Russia and Korea. Hasbro’s transition from a leader in toys and games into a branded play company involved in motion picture entertainment, digital gaming, lifestyle licensing, publishing, and most recently, television is credited to the company's ability to innovate, re-imagine and re-invent its world-class portfolio of brands.
 
“Hasbro has what I believe are the deepest, most beloved and powerful brands in family entertainment, and I’ve joined the company just at the moment when new markets, new places and new methods of entertainment are critical. Look at SCRABBLE’s extraordinary evolution from a classic board game to an iPhone app, iPad essential and now SCRABBLE FLASH – the 2010 Game of the Year – where word play is re-invented through free standing electronic tiles.
 
She adds, “My role in Global Consumer Insights informs what we do and places the consumer at the center of all of our thinking. We refer to this as building ‘windows of wisdom.’ In any new market we approach, we aim to fully understand the local states of learning and play. We’ve built immersions where designers/marketers go to the kindergartens and homes of our target audience—not just in key cities, but rural areas. We consider cultural, developmental, emotional and economic issues, as well but also recognizing such basics as where children play—how do aspects as varied as climate to urban safety factor into indoor or outdoor games, for example.”
 
Among Hasbro’s many great brands are:  TRANSFORMERS, LITTLEST PET SHOP, NERF, PLAYSKOOL, MY LITTLE PONY, G.I. JOE, MAGIC: THE GATHERING, MONOPOLY, BATTLESHIP, CANDY LAND, MR. POTATO HEAD, PLAY-DOH, RISK, TINKERTOY, TONKA, TRIVIAL PURSUIT, along with hundreds of others.


 



Julie T. Chan

Julie Chan 1.11 Director, International Media
Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, Madison, New Jersey


A leader in the Communications industry throughout her 20+ year career, Julie Chan joined Pfizer Consumer Healthcare as Director, International Media in May 2010 and is responsible for increasing Media effectiveness through innovation.  Julie is as an Integrated Communications and Digital visionary with expansive World-Wide communications experience and travel throughout Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

Passionate about working on International brands, one of Julie’s many responsibilities is Centrum, the multivitamin ranked #1 in twenty-two countries.   “Anywhere in the world you go, Centrum is Centrum, Caltrate is Caltrate, Advil is Advil.  They represent the same equity everywhere, yet it is interesting to see how the uniqueness of each market plays itself out.”  She describes her own experience to prove the point: 

“Before I came to Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, I didn't take vitamins, nor did I realize I needed a multivitamin.  I figured, I'm Chinese, I eat a balanced diet full of healthy and nutritious foods.  I didn't know that even though you can eat a well-rounded diet, you are still not getting enough vitamins + minerals.  This is a widely held belief in many regions of the world.  My challenge is to address this through different Communication programs that are relevant to Consumers in specific markets.  

At Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, we try to share best practice as much as possible and match up countries with the right solutions.  Challenges and solutions are always evolving.  At any point in time, you may have already encountered an issue which someone else can capitalize on two years from now.” 

She adds, “I also think there are media solutions and principles that are universal.  Anywhere you go, a GRP is a GRP, is a GRP.  However, it is how you approach the plan and insure its appropriateness for the market which makes it so much fun.”

Prior to joining Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, Julie spent 13 years at Johnson & Johnson where she led a team of media professionals responsible for integrated communications, agency oversight and digital marketing for J&J’s Consumer and Pharmaceutical Companies.  Julie has an expertise in Emerging Markets such as China and Brazil and led the Communications for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics as part of J&J’s sponsorship.

Julie also led the production of the successful China Media Summit:  fast forward, Connecting in the Digital Age resulting in increased Digital advertising and website production.  Based on her vision, ABC television developed the primetime special “Stress Hurts: A Wake-up Call for Women”, which was supported at store level through displays at Wal-Mart nationwide.

Born and raised in New York City, she has had a long-term goal of seeing the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.  Today she's added a new goal of having a friend in every city.  “That's what makes my job so interesting.”


 



Trevor Edwards

Trevor_edwards Vice President Global Brand & Category Management
Nike, Inc.  Beaverton, Oregon USA


Trevor Edwards understands a lot about big ideas and marketing innovation.  As Nike’s Global Brand & Category Management Vice President, he knows that today’s consumers expect brands to be creative and fun.  Yet he also recognizes that those same consumers want their brands to act intelligently and responsibly on the world stage, while being responsive to their highly-individualized needs.  A tall order, but one that Nike accomplishes throughout the world with gusto.

Certainly, as the world’s leading designer of authentic athletic footwear, apparel and equipment, Nike has an extraordinary track record for innovation and personalization, especially with such contemporary products as Nike+, which provides feedback during a run and records progress at nikeplus.com, and NikeiD, the shoe-customizing website. 

Since joining Nike in 1992, Trevor Edwards has led some of the brand’s most significant breakthroughs, including spearheading the creation of Nike+.  Not only does the Nike+ experience provide consumers with a custom-designed, motivational run, but it allows them to connect with an enthusiastic global running community.  He has also helped Nike transform the way it connects to consumers in a digital world, particularly through vibrant online content viewed by millions, and has positioned Nike as a leader in the use of social media.

Anticipating consumer needs is fundamental to the Nike ethos, and it also causes the company to recognize the great value that the marketing organization brings to the brand.  The desire to stay ahead of consumer thought and action certainly drives innovation, but it increasingly encourages a more “holist” approach to messaging in a high-speed and transparent digital world.   The company also has an internal process for sharing great ideas from around the world.  Trevor is quick to credit Nike’s teams of passionate people around the globe, who love sports and love the sports they participate in, as engendering much of the brand’s break-through, yet relevant attitude.

Trevor Edwards is responsible for global growth through Nike’s major category business units—Basketball, Football (Soccer), Men’s Training, Running, Sportswear, and Women’s Training, Nike Golf and the Jordan Brand.  He also directs Nike’s global brand strategy and oversees all brand management functions, including digital and advertising, sports marketing, brand design, public relations and retail marketing. 

He’s served in a number of marketing positions during his 19 years with the company that reflect both his marketing savvy and multinational perspective: Vice President of Global Brand Management, Chief Marketing Officer, Vice President of US Brand Management, Director of Marketing for the Americas, and Vice President of Brand Management for Europe, Middle East and Africa.  His roles prior to Nike included marketing positions at both Colgate Palmolive and sports shoe and apparel retailer, Foot Locker.  An alumnus of New York’s Baruch College, he holds a B.A. in Business and an M.B.A. in International Marketing and Finance.



Lee Ann Daly

Lee Ann Daly Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer
Thomson Reuters Markets,
New York


Lee Ann Daly, EVP and CMO of Thomson Reuters Markets, led the largest and most ambitious marketing campaign in the company’s history in 2010, entitled, “New Era. New Tools.”  Drawing from her background in advertising and production, Lee Ann brought fresh ideas and integrated innovative perspectives that pushed the boundaries of traditional financial marketing.  Fond of likening the “New Era. New Tools..” experiential campaign tactics with those typically used to launch a new soft drink, Lee Ann charged her global team of nearly 200 marketers with executing a strategy that positioned Thomson Reuters as an innovative and forward-thinking organization.

One of Lee Ann’s main motivations was bringing this launch and its accompanying offerings (Thomson Reuters Elektron, a strategic data distribution offering; Reuters Insider, a groundbreaking, interactive financial video capability; and Thomson Reuters Eikon, a completely re-imagined financial desktop) straight to the end user, and she knew that in order to do so, this campaign had to be highly targeted and focused on our clients around the world.  From the advertising creative for Eikon, which profiled customer personas in seven major markets, to the global execution of the campaign, which reached 14 financial centers in more than eight languages, Lee Ann ensured that Thomson Reuters, a global organization with a presence in more than 190 countries, marketed like one.

Thomson Reuters Markets was formed in 2008 during a time of great uncertainty and change in the financial industry, yet made a $1B investment in innovation to build game-changing platforms and tools to better serve customers.  This investment brought together strategists, product developers, salespeople, senior executives and the marketing community, led by Lee Ann Daly, to develop and deliver offerings that would completely redefine Thomson Reuters and set it apart from its competitors in the financial services industry.

Her role was to create the blueprint that brought it all together, working with the businesses to craft customer-centered communications and orchestrate and inspire the collaboration of marketers to make an impact around the world.  The entire effort was delivered under the tagline "New Era. New Tools.." — a phrase intended to capture the customers’ palpable desire to get back to business and create a better future for the financial markets, as well as to highlight Thomson Reuters’ own investment in a new, innovative way forward.

As inventive as these offerings are, they are rather esoteric until actually seen and used.  Lee Ann was always quick to note that “with experience comes understanding”, so she tasked her global team to use the extensive customer knowledge they had gleaned to make these launches as hands-on, relevant and engaging as possible.   They included Street Teams, interactive art installations, LED Boxes at London’s Canary Wharf and New York’s Grand Central Station and Go Live events in 14 cities.

Through a deep and well-researched understanding of the end user and a commitment to putting innovation in their hands — no matter where they live in the world, Lee Ann and her team created a global campaign unlike any other in the financial industry.



Scott Berg

Berg-GIF File Director, Global Digital Strategy & Ecosystems,  Corporate Marketing
Hewlett-Packard Company, Houston Texas USA


At a time when the fast-changing digital media landscape has most marketers concerned about keeping up, Scott Berg excels at staying several steps ahead.

His role at HP challenges him to operate at the nexus of digital media and information technology. Add a global overlay, and you’ve got a notion of his everyday complexity.   Just the description of his current multinational marketing program is enough to leave most heads spinning.

He explains, “As HP is a global company with multiple local, regional and global campaigns all occurring simultaneously, we've focused on building and expanding our digital ecosystem.  This ecosystem is built on the simple premise of how a customer goes through the purchase cycle, the usage cycle, service cycle and ultimately the repurchase or recommendation cycle.  Each one of these specific areas has unique opportunities for HP to interact with and influence our customer base.  Specifically, we've done the following:



Expanded our mobile presence from 0 countries to 67 with a goal to push our m.hp.com site to 110 countries by year’s end.  Not only can customers now interact directly with HP through their mobile device, but we can detect 92% of the mobile products they are using.  This enables HP to serve just the specific content that can be consumed by that mobile model.  If a cell phone doesn’t have the capacity to play video, we won’t serve video—eliminating frustrations for our customers.  Since mobile devices are used at retail, our mobile goals are simple:  Buy Now, Buy Up or Attach.  This spring, we’ll add text codes, QR codes, etc. to make it easier for customers to get direct information from HP on a specific product.



Expanded our social sites.  After consolidating 22 "rogue" HP sites on Facebook, we grew from 50K fans to 1.3M fans in under 2 years.  Plus, we created unique templates so our regions could roll out a specific country Facebook presence quickly and under the same brand specifications; now 85% of our countries are on Facebook with a unified brand experience and content.  We've also launched regional social sites such as Orcut, RenRen, Hi5, Kaixin, mixi, etc



Our integrated HP Channel on YouTube has brought together all of our disparate video content and consolidated it into a single, easy-to-navigate "portal" for customers.  Next is to create "sub YouTube" sites for each region to ensure a regional/country level reach and feel to our content.


We also launched 18 customer communities on hp.com with twelve focused on the enterprise customer.  This year we’ll expand those communities on hp.com internationally, so we can speak directly with customers in specific market or vertical segments and enable faster customer support.  Our latest test is directly integrating our consumer support forum questions and answers into Facebook in the US.


We are fortunate to be one of the first 25 companies to test the new business profile section on Linked In.  This allows us to focus on business executives with content, information and interactions that would normally be difficult.


And finally, we're updating hp.com across the entire globe... making it cutting edge with content, technology enhancements, social and mobile features integrated across the site and wrapping that in compelling design and user experience.”




Marisa Ricciardi

Marisa Ricciardi photo A Chief Marketing Officer
NYSE Euronext, New York


Since Marisa Riccardi has been selected an Internationalist of the Year, Deutsche Börse AG and New York Stock Exchange parent NYSE Euronext announced an agreement to merge and create the world's largest exchange operator. The new company, yet to be named, will be owned 60% by Deutsche Boerse shareholders and 40% by NYSE Euronext shareholders.


Marisa Ricciardi understands both collaboration and vision.  In 2007 the NYSE Group and Euronext combined to set a new milestone for global financial markets.  Marisa then joined a newly-merged company with disparate businesses, cultures and histories—tallying more than four centuries, and accelerated its path forward with an innovative vision.  Using her CEO’s definition of considering the company a “217-year-old start-up,” she led the internal and external communications of an organization with a deeply-rooted American mindset to become a redefined global entity.

She began by creating “one voice” that stemmed from a complete overhaul of the brand architecture with the consolidation of hundreds of brands to just one parent and seven sub-brands-- with the greatest emphasis on the parent brand, NYSE Euronext.  Marisa formed a core brand team of representatives from each major business in New York, Chicago, London, and Paris to serve as an internal international focus group.  The team eventually reinforced the architecture in all communications by better understanding the effective marketing tactics for differing businesses and geographies.

Marisa also demonstrated why marketing campaigns-- (normally discretionary considerations for the Exchange)-- were worthwhile investments during challenging economic times. This meant re-evaluating all communications resources and developing programs that would not only extend the brand, but deliver measurable engagement and tangible growth.

 Fast forward to 2010.  NYSE Euronext was excited to introduce itself to the world as a completely redefined company, but was challenged by a changed economic environment.  In addition to communicating the benefits of the parent brand, there were also individual business unit objectives to support—not an easy task with limited resources.  Marisa decided to use a “Product as Brand” approach, developing relevant communications for multiple audiences-- from traders to investors to employees worldwide.  To support overall corporate objectives, she also focused on growing existing client relationships. 

 The principal communications message underscored how NYSE Euronext is now more than just a stock exchange.  It is an innovative, diversified company providing solutions to a vast, integrated customer community.  Marisa championed programs to promote ongoing client engagement, thus encouraging collaboration within the community. She generated awareness of NYSE Euronext’s broad offerings of innovative products and services to better position the company in two ways:

1. As delivering solutions to help clients to excel at their businesses
2.  As a forward thinking, innovative business within the community. 

Now as NYSE Euronext enters its next evolution, there’s little doubt that Marisa Ricciardi is already envisioning a larger communications platform for an expanded company.



Lauren Flaherty

Lauren-flaherty


Lauren Flaherty oversees all of Juniper Networks global marketing activities and is leading a transformation that is successfully reshaping the company's image and position in the high-performance networking market. Within a year of taking on the CMO role, she helped launch the rebranding of the company and introduced a marketing platform that is enabling major growth initiatives and mobilizing internal change.

“At Juniper, we don't just sell products; we offer a different point of view.”  She asserts, “We’re not chasing trends, we truly believe in what we’re talking about.  We focused our branding efforts on the customers and partners that were most critical to our growth.  Unlike some of our competitors, Juniper doesn’t to force a migration path on its customers and partners; it works with them on business strategy and rolls out products and services to address those needs. That’s why we hold twice yearly CXO events and regular discussions with our customers and partners to listen to their issues, set the agenda and shares our networking philosophy.”

Lauren admits that the key lesson she’s taken from 25 years leading marketing organizations is that to ensure success, it is imperative to align the sales and brand marketing goals with those of the business.  In fact, marketers should go even further than alignment, as the goals should ultimately personify those that which are guiding the company.

“Upon joining Juniper last year, I realized the company was sitting on a goldmine of product innovation and engineering excellence.  Nevertheless we still had marketing challenges to overcome, and an existing campaign that had outlived its usefulness.

Being the new person on the block—I kept asking:  ‘Why are we doing this?’  I couldn't get a straight answer, and to me, that was good enough reason to stop the effort. If your own company doesn't know why they are rebranding - how are you supposed to be taken seriously externally? 

Several factors have gone into the marketing transformation that has occurred at Juniper, but none has been more critical to success than the alignment with business goals.   Lauren makes a point to meet with CEO Kevin Johnson every 90 to 120 days to review goals, get his perspective on the business, and use that information as the basis for goal setting.  “From there we can have the confidence that we're reaching our audiences with consistent messages over the long term.   Doing so has earned the trust of our partners, customers, investors, employees, analysts and the media.”

Prior to joining Juniper, Lauren Flaherty served as CMO of Nortel Networks from 2006-2008 where she created a fully integrated marketing function that represented all lines of business and established Nortel’s first Global Marketing Board. Before Nortel, she spent 26 years at IBM in a variety of product marketing leadership positions, including software and servers. She also led many company-wide initiatives, such as Solutions for a small planet, e-business, on demand business, and marketing targeting key segments for small-and-medium businesses (SMBs).



Kudos to the 2010 Internationalists of the Year

CoverThis year marks The Internationalist’s seventh year of honoring marketing champions who “break the mold” with marketing ideas and embrace new levels of risk-taking that are now essential in delivering results and better connecting with consumers and customers. This year also boasts our largest group of winners.


Despite the variety of fields they represent, their diversity of location and varying years in the profession, all take the role of brand champion to heart.  If a phrase could summarize their dedication in this era of change, it would be “commitment to innovation.” Without their extraordinary efforts, inspiration and energy in the midst of 2010’s re-set economy, its fast digital pace and its renewed emphasis on accountability and responsibility, many marketing programs simply would not have left the drawing board.

The naming of the Internationalists of the Year never fails to reveal interesting trends. Without question, better understanding accelerated digital development is now an essential factor in innovative marketing thinking.  Issues of accountability and marketing responsibility loom large as more of our Internationalists link their budgets directly to sales results. They understand that it is essential to move from static brand communications to engaging customers if one is to demonstrate a measurable return on marketing investment.

All are figuring out how to present a consistent worldwide image that establishes overall customer confidence while still trying to connect on an individual customer level. Many have championed new regions or new markets, coordinated global teams, or were advocates of international projects that simply would not have happened without their energy and perseverance. Some even learned how brand diplomacy means being a champion for local economics. These leaders also recognize that a platform for connecting with customers must be built into their marketing plans and that “everything social” continues to shape their views on greater customer participation and improved marketing efficiencies.

Highlighting the people and ideas behind today’s successful cross-border campaigns and breakthrough accomplishments is at the heart of The Internationalist’s mission. All of these Internationalists have been nominated by their industry colleagues for their work in 2010.  Final selections were made by The The Internationalist advisory board and editorial team. These men and women join 71 other individuals named between 2004 through 2009.


Congratulations to the 2010 Internationalists of the Year, the individuals from around the world who are truly the brains behind the marketing of today’s best brands.



Dwight Caines

Dwight_Caines3President, Worldwide Digital Marketing
Sony Pictures Worldwide Marketing & Distribution, Culver City, California


There’s no question that the entertainment industry—and movie marketers in particular—have recognized the extraordinary power of digital media to promote films on an increasingly worldwide basis.  Sony Pictures’ Dwight Caines is not only a champion of digital marketing, but has established a number of significant milestones that demonstrate how he leads Hollywood thinking with innovative marketing ideas.

As President of Worldwide Digital Marketing at Sony Pictures, Dwight Caines manages all strategic and creative aspects of digital campaign development for the studio's film titles across the globe. He also directs all global digital media spending—now a significant portion of the total media budget, and works across various consumer channels, including; the Internet, portable and mobile devices, gaming platforms, and social media.

In addition, he drives the overall portal strategy for Sonypictures.com and Sonypictures.net, and provides strategic oversight to Imageworks Interactive, Sony Pictures' full-service agency that specializes in the extension of entertainment brands in the digital space.

 What sets Dwight apart is his clear vision of the role and value of digital media and the way in which he uses it to help Sony Pictures act as a pioneer among other major studios.  Both he and his immediate team have a sophisticated understanding of all things digital, including such related areas such as social media and how to use digital buzz to forecast a film's likely box office performance.

Dwight understands the challenges and opportunities of bringing big-screen entertainment to today’s difficult-to-reach, fragmented, digitally-oriented movie goers.  He also recognizes the need to continually redefine notions of “forward thinking” and “cutting edge”—whether he is promoting a blockbuster or a niche film.

He has now worked on more than 200 digital campaigns, including the marketing efforts for some of the decade’s biggest box office hits, such as the Spider-Man® franchise, Hancock, The Da Vinci Code, Casino Royale, The Pursuit of Happyness, Ghost Rider™, Superbad, Men in Black II, Black Hawk Down, The Karate Kid and The Social Network.

This year Dwight Caines was voted onto the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as the only digital marketing representative.   Also, as a member of the board of directors of The Entertainment Industry Foundation, he guided the digital marketing strategy for Stand Up 2 Cancer, a rare TV event that aired on three major television networks and raised over $100 million for cancer research.